Golf Putter Head

ABSTRACT

A golf putter head a putter head body. The letterhead body has a putter base, a putter top, a putter striking face, and a putter rear wall. A hosel connection is mounted on the putter head. An opening is sized to receive a standard regulation golf ball and a rim formed at the entrance of the opening. An inside surface of an opening wall provides a tee hole having a substantially horizontal direction and is sized to receive a standard tee. The tee hole communicates with the opening. The tee hole is positioned to allow ejecting of a golf ball within the opening, when the tee is pressed into the tee hole.

This application claims priority and is a continuation in part of U.S. patent Ser. No. 29/369,745, entitled Golf Putter Head filed Sep. 13, 2010 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of golf putter heads.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

A wide variety of golf putters are designed for retrieving golf balls, such as described in Spino for U.S. Pat. No. D478,642 entitled Golf Putter and a Ball Retreiver issued Aug. 19, 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In Hull, U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,999 entitled Combination Golf Putter Retriever And Ejection System issued Jan. 23, 1996 to Hull, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference a combination golf butter and more retriever has a circular recess in a center section for receiving and fictionally engaging a golf ball by means of an “O” ring. Hull also describes an alternate ball ejection system in U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,525 issued Dec. 14, 1993.

Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,878,072, issued Apr. 12, 2005 entitled Golf Ball Putter Retriever and Retainer, the putter defines a substantially symmetrical configuration from the heel to toe and has a spherical recess with a resilient tab for releasing the golf ball. Eberwein shows a golf ball retrieving device which has a side button connected to a friction member for retaining the ball within the ball cavity.

Another interesting method of golf ball retrieval is shown in inventor Sievers in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,019 issued Dec. 4, 1984, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Sievers shows that the back portion of the putter can be formed as a scoop for scooping out the golf ball. Minami in U.S. Pat. No. D388,853 also describes a golf putter head with a golf ball retriever formed as a ring. The prolific variations of golf putter heads for retrieving a golf ball offer myriad design combinations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A golf putter head a putter head body. The letterhead body has a putter base, a putter top, a putter striking face, and a putter rear wall. A hosel connection is mounted on the putter head. An opening is sized to receive a standard regulation golf ball and a rim formed at the entrance of the opening. An inside surface of an opening wall provides a tee hole having a substantially horizontal direction and is sized to receive a standard tee. The tee hole communicates with the opening. The tee hole is positioned to allow ejecting of a golf ball within the opening, when the tee is pressed into the tee hole.

The tee hole has a side profile which is arc shaped. A golf ball is received within the opening. A tee is received within the tee hole. The tee hole is oriented along a swinging direction of the club. The tee hole is oriented along a swinging direction of the club. Optionally, the tee hole can be oriented at approximately 90° to a swinging direction of the club. The tee hole can be oriented on an outside side of the club, or on an inside side of the club. The tee hole can be oriented at approximately 30-45° to a swinging direction of the club. The tee hole can be oriented on an outside side of the club.

The putter head body can have a rotational inertia insert fitted into a casing. The rotational inertia insert has a higher density than the casing. The opening is formed in at least a portion of the rotational inertia insert.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the putter head.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the putter head.

FIG. 3 is a rear side perspective view of the putter head.

FIG. 4 is a left side perspective view of the putter head.

FIG. 5 is a right side perspective view of the putter head.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the putter head.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the putter head.

FIG. 8 is a cross section view of the putter head.

FIG. 9 is a cross section view of the putter head.

FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the putter head showing the casing and rotational inertia member.

The following call out list of elements provides a reference for the elements of the drawings.

-   21 Tee Hole -   121 First Alternate Hole Position -   221 Second Alternate Hole Position -   321 Third Alternate Hole Position -   22 Opening -   23 Rim -   24 Opening Wall -   25 Tee Hole Side Profile -   31 Hosel -   32 Hosel Base -   33 Putter Base -   34 Rear Wall -   35 Putter Top -   36 Putter Face -   41 Golf Ball -   42 Tee -   88 Rotational Inertia Insert -   89 Casing

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A golf club generally has a grip, a shaft and a head. A hosel 31 typically connects the clubhead to the shaft. The hosel is typically a metal connector member that may have a hosel base 32 which is the hosel 31 extending through the thickness of the clubhead.

The opening 22 has a circular rim 23 and defines a circular upper face of the opening wall 24. The tee hole has a side profile 25 that is arc shaped and cut away from the putter head. The putter generally has a putter base 33, a rear wall 34, a putter top 35, and a putter face 36.

The tee hole 21 is preferably disposed in a horizontal fashion to provide an opening to receive a tee. Preferably, the opening is sized to have a proper diameter so that it can receive a standard tee 42. The golf ball has a spherical surface with a portion of the spherical surface facing an angled conical portion of the tee so that at least a portion of the angled conical portion of the tee engages with and abuts against the golf ball. The tee when pressing in ejects the golf ball. The sidewall shaft of the tee can also be used for engaging with a surface of the golf ball 41 and for ejecting the golf ball 41.

The opening of the tee hole 21 provides a cylindrical conduit for the passage of the tee. The cylindrical conduit is preferably placed in the rear of the golf club so that the tee has a parallel travel with an inside surface of the opening. The upper face of the opening wall 24 is preferably parallel to the travel of the tee shaft to provide minimal flex of the tee shaft.

The tee hole may have a first alternate hole position 121, a second alternate hole position 221, or a third alternate hole position 321 as seen in FIG. 9. The preferred location is with a straight tee hole 21 which extends along the direction of the swing of the club. A first alternate hole position 121 is at 90° to the direction of the swing of the club and extends horizontally such as in the diagram shown in FIG. 9. In a second alternate hole position 221, the opening allows for approximately a 10°-20° angle from the direction of the swing of the club. In a third alternate hole position 321, the opening allows for approximately a 30°-45° angle from the direction of the swing of the club. In a first alternate hole position, the hole is to the outside of the club. In a second alternate hole position, the hole is to the rear inside of the club. In a third alternate hole position, the opening is to an outside rear of the club. It is also possible to have one or more openings. Unused openings can be plugged with a plug matching the exterior profile of the clubhead. The unused openings can be plugged with a weighted plug for changing the weight balance of the club head.

The tee shaft can be flush with the upper face of the opening wall 24, or the tee shaft can be slightly offset as seen in FIG. 8. When the tee is slightly offset, the tee may bend slightly. When the tee is flush with the upper face of the opening wall 24, the tee preferably does not bend.

The body of the putter head is preferably comprised of a pair of members, namely a casing 89 and a rotational inertia insert 88. The casing 89 preferably is made of a light material such as plastic, aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass or wood and the rotational inertia insert 88 is preferably made of a heavier metal such as brass or steel. The rotational inertia insert 88 is formed around the opening 22 and is at least partially encapsulated by the casing 89. The casing 89 may receive a screenprinted graphic or painted outer surface. Making the body of the putter head can be accomplished by first forming a putter head out of the casing material and then machining a circular hollow for receiving a cylindrical cup shaped rotational inertia insert. Alternatively, the rotational inertia insert can be rectangular and the putter head can be machined by CNC processes and adhered with an adhesive or screws. After bonding the casing material with the insert, the rotational inertia insert can then be machined with the golf ball retaining opening. The rotational inertia insert can be machined before or after bonding with the casing material. An epoxy can be used for adhering the casing material with the insert.

The rotational inertia insert has a center of mass. The rotational inertia insert preferably has more than half of its mass more than a quarter of its length or width away from a center of mass of the rotational inertia insert.

Although the invention has been disclosed in detail with reference only to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other embodiments can be provided without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is defined only by the claims set forth below. 

1. A golf putter head comprising: a. a putter head body, wherein the putter head body has a putter base, a putter top, a putter striking face, and a putter rear wall; b. a hosel connection on the putter head; c. an opening sized to receive a standard regulation golf ball and a rim formed at the entrance of the opening; d. an inside surface opening wall; e. a tee hole having a substantially horizontal direction and is sized to receive a standard tee, wherein the tee hole communicates with the opening, wherein the tee hole is positioned to allow ejecting of a golf ball within the opening, when the tee is pressed into the tee hole.
 2. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the putter rear wall has a curved profile.
 3. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the inside surface is substantially horizontal, flat and circular.
 4. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the tee hole has a side profile which is arc shaped.
 5. The golf putter head of claim 1, further comprising a golf ball received within the opening.
 6. The golf putter head of claim 1, further comprising a tee received within the tee hole.
 7. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the tee hole is oriented along a swinging direction of the club.
 8. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the tee hole is oriented along a swinging direction of the club.
 9. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the tee hole is oriented at approximately 90° to a swinging direction of the club, wherein the tee hole is oriented on an outside side of the club.
 10. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the tee hole is oriented at approximately 30-45° to a swinging direction of the club.
 11. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the tee hole is oriented on an outside side of the club.
 12. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the putter head body further comprises a rotational inertia insert fitted into a casing, wherein the rotational inertia insert has a higher density than the casing, wherein the opening is formed in at least a portion of the rotational inertia insert.
 13. The golf putter head of claim 12, wherein the putter rear wall has a curved profile.
 14. The golf putter head of claim 12, wherein the inside surface is substantially horizontal.
 15. The golf putter head of claim 12, wherein the tee hole has a side profile which is arc shaped.
 16. The golf putter head of claim 12, further comprising a golf ball received within the opening.
 17. The golf putter head of claim 12, further comprising a tee received within the tee hole.
 18. The golf putter head of claim 12, wherein the rotational inertia insert preferably has more than half of its mass more than a quarter of its width away from a center of mass of the rotational inertia insert.
 19. The golf putter head of claim 12, wherein the rotational inertia insert preferably has more than half of its mass more than a quarter of its length away from a center of mass of the rotational inertia insert. 